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Olmsted Tree Society

The Olmsted Tree Society was founded in 2013 as the 10th Anniversary project of Party in the Park to preserve and maintain trees throughout the Emerald Necklace. Contributions to the Olmsted Tree Society have provided over $3 million for the projects outlined on this page, and continue to invest into our programs focused on tree and woodland care!

Undertaken in collaboration with the Conservancy’s public partners – Boston Parks & Recreation, Brookline Parks and Open Space and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation –the initiative intends to preserve the urban canopy throughout these historic parks. This includes the preservation of heritage trees, many of which are over 100 years old, and the planting of new and climate-adaptive trees to ensure that the whole system is preserved for generations to come.

The trees of the Emerald Necklace provide immense benefits to our communities as they filter pollutants out of the air, absorb stormwater, sequester carbon, reduce urban heat and create a space for people to connect to nature and take a deep breath.

The Emerald Necklace is one of only a few remaining intact linear parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, America’s first landscape architect. It is now designated and cherished as a Historic Landmark with the City of Boston, and the historic trees weave in and out of the city streetscapes to connect 14-neigborhoods through shared space and urban nature.

Tree Pruning

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy works with the public agencies to assess, inventory, and prune all major trees throughout the 1,100-acre park network. All this work is conducted by certified arborists, and the data are collected in the Conservancy’s digital records (currently of over 10,000 trees) to conduct long-term assessments and follow up on projects.

Pruning trees is an important effort in keeping them healthy and encouraging long lives! Our pruning projects allow us to focus only on the trees that need work and remove any dead or damaged branches that can be hazards for the trees and people. Pruning trees also encourages them to develop stronger structure and more aesthetic forms so while allowing clearances to be maintained for roads, paths, and park accessibility.

Other benefits of pruning include reducing the occurrence of leaf disease because better airflow is allowed through the canopy, preparing trees for winter storms and changing climate conditions, and allowing trees to coexist more easily with understory plants.

Tree Planting

The Conservancy works with certified arborists, community volunteers, and the public agencies to plant trees throughout the parks. We have planted over 400 trees since the start of the Olmsted Tree Society and are working to plant and maintain more trees throughout the parks in locations determined by community interests, canopy needs, and requests from the public agencies.

Tree Watering

Trees need care after planting!

Urban trees endure a lot of stress including salt exposure, soil compaction and depleted nutrients, to name a few, and we work to provide water and follow-up care throughout the first years of establishment for newly planted trees. This entails watering approximately 200 trees per week throughout the summer months with our personal watering truck (pictured below). This program ensures that any trees we plant in the parks will receive regular follow-up care and water that can be catered to tree’s needs based on site, species and weather.

olmsted tree society
Donate online

For more information, contact Veronika Trufanova at
617-522-2700 or vtrufanova@emeraldnecklace.org

Tree Sponsorship Program and Application (PDF)

Establishing the Olmsted Tree Society

Activities of the Olmsted Tree Society will be managed by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy in concert with Boston Parks & Recreation, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and Brookline Parks and Open Space.


The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is the proud recipient of the 2020 Preservation Massachusetts Frederick Law Olmsted Award!

Arbor Day 2023 Planting in the Back Bay Fens including PowerCorps Boston green jobs trainees, City of Boston arborist staff, community volunteers, and arborists from Bartlett Tree Experts who donated 10 trees to celebrate Arbor Day!



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